Kolkata experiences coldest winter in seven years

Kolkata: The metropolis Wednesday experienced the coldest winter in the last seven years with the mercury dipping to 9.6 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal.

A cold wave has gripped entire West Bengal even as the weatherman has forecast a further fall in temperature.

"Had it been 9.5 degrees, we would have declared a cold wave condition in the city", Regional Director of MET office, G C Debnath said.

Cold wave condition triggered by incursion of chilly northerly winds would continue for the next 24 hours, he said.

Almost the entire state was reeling under an intense cold spell with Darjeeling being the coldest recording minus one degree.
North Bengal district of Malda recorded a minimum of 4.6 degrees followed by Nadia (5.1 degrees), Burdwan (5.5 degrees), Birbhum (six degrees), Bankura (6.1 degrees), South
24 Parganas (8.8 degrees) and Howrah (10 degrees).

Dum Dum on the outskirts of the city recorded 8.4 degrees, five degrees below normal, and Canning in South 24 Parganas recorded 7.4 degrees.
While the last coldest day in Kolkata was January 22, 2003 when the mercury dipped to 9.3 degrees, the city experienced the coldest day in December 1966 when the mercury
dipped to 7.2 degrees.